Immortal - Diabolical Full Moon Mysticism LP
Splatter vinyl.
I've been listening to Immortal for as long as I've been a metalhead. And this album in particular was one of the first black metal albums I've listened to. Today, it remains my favorite release from the band, and for many good reasons.
The album's first track opens up in a windy environment. We then hear the voices of some ghastly figures, along with an acoustic guitar playing. The track sets the overall atmosphere in this album, which is a mix between mysterious, raw sound along with acoustic instruments. We then move on to the next track "The Call of the Wintermoon", which to this day remains my favorite song from the band. The distorted guitar riffs are varied and aggressive along with an outstanding banging drum work from Armagedda. The lyrics are also a beautiful poetic story on the wintry mountains with vivid, detailed language. These first two tracks remain one of the greatest openings in black metal history.
Abbath Doom Occulta is the one who does the vocals, bass, and songwriting, and he is superb on all of them. His vocals give off the typical high-shrieking voice we've heard before, but his is done in a way where you can feel the emotions he gives. For some bands, their shrieking sounds forced, but for Abbath, it fits perfectly with the raw, distorted production. His bass is also very fast-paced and rough, and also blends in with the chaotic sound.
Going into more detail with the acoustic instruments and others, there's not much with them besides the intro. However, when they do appear, they work extremely well. The acoustic guitar serves as a mini-break between the noise, and adds even more to the mysterious atmosphere. My favorite acoustic moment in the album is in the final track "A Perfect Vision of the Rising Northland". The acoustic guitar that plays at the beginning and end of the song fits the description on what a perfect rising country would be like, and that idea is further pushed with the distorted guitar riffs and lyrics about the wintry environment. The acoustic moments are executed so well, there are very few metal bands that can do it just as well.
- Slater922 via Metal Archives